NSF Institute on Nanotechnology Comes to UMass Lowell

Deadline Extended to March 20 for Fellowship Applications for Prestigious Program

LOWELL, Mass. ߝ UMass Lowell will host a National Science Foundation summer institute short course on nanotechnology that will bring top researchers in plastics, composites and nanomaterials from around the world together to share their expertise in areas including structure, behavior and performance.

Typically hosted by Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., this is the first time the institute will be held on the East Coast. The program runs from Monday, June 15 through Thursday, June 18. Co-organizers from UMass Lowell are Prof. Julie Chen of Mechanical Engineering and Assistant Prof. Daniel Schmidt of Plastics Engineering.

Although the four-day program is not until June, applications for fellowships are due this month. The deadline to apply has been extended to March 20. For successful applicants, the NSF will cover the cost of registration ߝ which ranges from $1,600 for those who register by April 1, $2,000 by May 1 and $2,200 for those who register after June 1 ߝ and accommodations. Fellowships are open to professors, post-doctoral researchers and graduate students.

The NSF Summer Institute on Nanomechanics, Nanomaterials and Micro/Nanomanufacturing will include courses on properties and applications, nanoparticle engineering, nanocomposite formation and characterization and micromechanics, as well as hands-on demonstrations and facilities tours. The program will be of particular interest to industrial engineers, scientists and academics who would like to expand their knowledge of nanomanufacturing techniques, theory and recent developments in this ever-evolving field.

Lecturers at the institute are scheduled to include Alan Lesser, professor of polymer science and engineering at UMass Amherst; Michael Rubner, professor and director of the Center for Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Dale Schaefer, professor of chemical and materials engineering at the University of Cincinnati; Sanford Sternstein, professor emeritus in materials science and engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; and Richard Vaia, technology adviser of the Nanostructured and Biological Materials Branch at the U.S. Air Force Research Lab and nanomaterials lead for the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. Derk Brouwer, a senior exposure and assessment scientist from the Netherlands, will complement the group with his expertise in nanomaterial-relevant occupational health and safety.

Sponsoring the program at UMass Lowell is the NSF Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing (CHN) and the Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence (NCOE). The CHN, one of only four NSF nanomanufacturing centers nationwide, is a partner with Northeastern University and the University of New Hampshire. The NCOE was formed through a 2004 economic stimulus bill funded by the John Adams Innovation Institute and is administered by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.

UMass Lowell, with a national reputation in science, engineering and technology, is committed to educating students for lifelong success in a diverse world and conducting research and outreach activities that sustain the economic, environmental and social health of the region. UML offers its 12,000 students more than 120 degree choices, internships, five-year combined bachelor’s to master’s programs and doctoral studies in the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Management, the School of Health and Environment, and the Graduate School of Education.www.uml.edu.